In the '80s, no single entity had a greater impact in who Greater Cincinnati saw in concert than the Nederlander Organization. Until they opened shop, no national promoter had maintained a full-time Cincinnati office for almost five years.

In 1999, when the family-owned company sold out to SFX (later sold to Clear Channel in 2000) it seemed to be the end of the group's influence here.

Then, in 2001, the Nederlanders bought the struggling arena along the riverfront and renamed it U.S. Bank Arena.

All of this would be just so much "inside baseball," except for one thing. Unlike Clear Channel, which can afford to book around Cincinnati (Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus, Louisville, Lexington) and save all its big concerts for Riverbend, the Nederlanders have to keep U.S. Bank Arena rolling every day.

The biggest example of their aggressive stance was November's Bruce Springsteen concert. To get the show, they had to convince Cincinnati fire and police officials that general admission seating - banned here for almost 23 years after the deaths at a 1979 Who concert - could not only work in Cincinnati, it could work in the same building. They pulled it off, winning permission and producing a smooth-running festival-seating show.

The Nederlanders also gambled on 2002's "Down From the Mountain Tour" and not only came close to a sell-out, they produced one of the year's best concerts.

This year, the Nederlanders keep up the pace with a Feb. 21-22 weekend stand that brings the winter's biggest tour to town - the Phish reunion. Both shows sold out in minutes.

That weekend will turn Cincinnati into the center of the concert universe. And, says the Nederlander staff, that's only the beginning.